Filling tube assembly



June 22, 1954 l. H. Rlssr-:R

FILLING TUBE ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 28, 1950 lm h 6 9 Nm n n 1 @j 1: Z "EN"flu/adv Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES TNT OFFICE FILLING TUBEASSEMBLY Application January 28, 1950, Serial No. 141,110

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a filling tube assembly and especiallyto a novel iilling tube assembly for so-called gravity feed machines inwhich successive bottles or containers are automatically filled to apredetermined lling height.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novellling tube assembly of extremely sturdy construction having a minimumnumber of parts which may be readily assembled or disassembled. Thisassembly is so designed and constructed that the component parts may beeasily cleaned and maintained sanitary.

A further important object of the present invention is the provision ofa novel iilling tube assembly that is so constructed and arranged as tominimize likelihood of damage, and if damaged for any reason such as dueto misalignment of the bottle or container being lled with respect tothe filling tube, such resultant damage is limited or coniined to theouter cylindrical tube. By reason of the novel construction andassembly, such tube may be readily replaced and the cost thereof and thetime and labor required for its replacement are very low.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a novel meansand manner i effectively sealing the assembly against leakage.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,eiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such furtherobjects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear andare inherently possessed thereby.

The invention further resides in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and whilethere is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understoodthat the same is susceptible of modification and change, and comprehendsother details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical cross-section through the novel fillingtube assembly and showing it assembled in the base of a filling tank.

Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal cross-section through the lower endof thetube assembly, the view being taken in a plane represented by the line2--2 of Fig. 1.`

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of the lower end.of the inner or vent tube and the tip and showing the discharge passagefor dispensing the liquid.

Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation of the structure oi Fig. 3, but withthe tip rotated through approximately one-half revolution from theposition of Fig. 3 to show the location oi the air vent in the tip andits connection to the Vent tube.

Referring to the disclosure in the drawing and especially to theembodiment therein selected to illustrate the present invention,` thenovel iilling tube assembly comprises a threaded head or connector Iiifor joining or mounting the assembly in an opening Ii provided in thebase I2 of iilling tank I3. rfhis head and the opening for receiving itare preferably threaded for detachable or threaded connection wherebythe entire filling tube assembly carried by the head can be quicklyremoved from the tank for cleansing or replacement. The head is providedwith a relatively large and preferably centrally disposed bore orpassage I4 through which the liquid I5 from the filling tank I3 flows bygravity during the lling operation.

Disposed within the bore I4 of the head is the upper end of an outertube I6 and within this outer tube is an inner tube Il providing an airvent, the upper end I8 of the inner tube projecting a substantial amountabove the head, through the depth of liquid I5 within the lling tank I3and to a position approximately one-half inch or more above the normalfilling level I9 in the tank. In the illustrative embodiment, the inneror vent tube II is shown substantially centered within the outer tube I6to adjacent its lower end 20 where this inner or vent tube is bent inthe manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the extreme lower end 2l isthreaded or detachably mounted in a threaded port 22 in the upper end ofthe tip 23. This spacing between the tubular members I6 and il providesan annular passage for dispensing the liquid by gravity.

The assembled inner tube Il and tip 23 are held in their properoperative position and relationship by a split clamping head or tubemounting 24, the two sections of which are each provided or formed witha complementary recess to conformably receive and clampingly retain iniixed position the inner tube I'I by a pair of clamping screws 25. Thishead or tube mounting 24 is anchored and maintained in spaced relationwith the head or connector I0 by a plurality of depending connectingrods 26`, the upper ends of which are suitably mounted in the clampinghead and the lower ends secured or threadedly connected to the head orconnector I0.

The outer tube or tubular member I6 is conformably received in andslidably carried at its.

upper end in the bore i4 in the head or connector il) and its lower end2l encompasses and is telescoped upon the tip 23 carried by the lowerend of the inner tube il. A relatively heavy coil spring 28 bears at itsupper' end against an annular peripheral ange 29 on a packing sealretainer 30 spring-biased and held against the base or underside of thehead or connector iii. This retainer is provided on its upper surfacewith a reduced annular upstanding collar 3i received in an annularrecess or bore 32 in the head or connector I and retaining within thisrecess a pair of 0 ring seals 33 forming a packing to seal and preventleakage between the interior of the head or connector l0 and the outertube I6.

A spring retainer 34 against which the lower end of the spring seats,rests upon a split tube clamp 35 clamped or anchored onto the outer tubeat a xed distance with relation to a shoulder 36 formed or provided onthe tip adjacent its lower end and against which the lower end 2'! ofthe outer tube I6 is adapted to seat when the filling tube is in itslowered, inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1. Each retainer so and34 is provided with a conical part 3l centering the opposite ends of thecoil spring.

The tube clamp 35 comprises complementary split sections 38 adapted tobe clamped on and securely affixed to the outer tube I6 by a pair ofclamping screws 4i). This tube clamp is contoured or channelled toreceive and securely retain the reduced upper end 4l of a mouldedsealing member 42 preferably formed of natural or compounded syntheticrubber and adapted to seat against or be engaged by the neck or upperend of a bottle or container to be lled. The distance or spacing betweenthe lower or under surface of this sealing member and the shoulder 36governs the filling height of the liquid in the bottle or containerbeing lled. In other words, this spacing will be accurately governed bythe distance from the top of the bottle or container to be lled to theultimate liquid level in the bottle. Longitudinal adjustment of the tubeclamp 35 and its depending sealing member 42 upon the outer tubularmember l may be accomplished by merely loosening the clamping screws 4i)and varying the position of this clamp and sealing member upon thisouter tubular member by a sliding movement.

The tip is longitudinally slotted at 43 (Figs. l and l) with this slotat its upper end opening into the port or passage 22 aligned with theinner tube or air vent Il and at its lower end extending to the upperedge of an annular channel 44 disposed immediately above the shoulder3B. This channel is adapted to receive an O ring valve seal 45 whichseals against the interior of the extreme lower end '21 of the outertube i5. At the side of the tip opposite to the slot 43, the tip isprovided with an elongated slot or channel 4% extending from the upperend of the tip (Fig. 3) to a position spaced upwardly from the shoulder38 and the valve seal 45. At its upper end this slot or channel 46 isaligned with and opens into the outer tube it to feed liquid from thefilling tank i3 to the slot or channel by gravity, but it cannot escapetherefrom until the outer tube I6 is elevated sufciently to uncover theslot. However, before the slot or channel 46 is uncovered, the air ventor slot 43 is uncovered whereby air may escape from the bottle throughthe inner tube Il before liquid ows by gravity through the outer tubeI6.

From the above disclosure, it will be apparent that when the parts areassembled as in Fig. 1, the outer tube i6 and the tube clamp 35 andsealing member 42 are telescoped and bodily slidable upon the inner tubeIl and its tip 23. Relative movement therebetween may be effectedwhenever the sealing member engages or is engaged by the open neck of a:bottle or other container. For example, the bottle or container may beelevated into contact with the sealing member 42 and upon suchengagement further elevation of the bottle or container lifts thesealing member and outer tube i6 to rst uncover the air vent or slot 43to allow for the escape of air from the interior of the bottle orcontainer, and second to uncover the slot or port 46 through whichgravitates or escapes the liquid from the interior of the outer tube I6.Or, the nlling tube assembly may be bodily lowered with the filling tankand the bottle retained stationary, in which event the iilling tubeassembly operates in the same manner as above.

The coil spring 28 is maintained under com pression between the springretainer 3l] on the head l0, in which the upper end of the outer tube itis slidably received, and the spring clamp 34 cn the tube clamp 35,whereby the lower end 21 of this outer tube le is normally forciblymoved to its lowered, closed position in which the end 2'! engages theshoulder or seat 36 and sealing is effected thereby and through thesealing contact between the O ring 45 and the interior of the lower endof the outer tube I6. To unseat and raise the outer tube it from thissealing engagement, this tube and its sealing rubber 42 must be elevatedwith respect to the inner tube il and its tip 23, and this isaccomplished each time the upper end or neck of a bottle or containerengages the sealing rubber suiiiciently to cause the latter to be raisedan amount sufiicient to uncover (l) the air vent and (2) the liquidpassage.

When using prior types of filling tubes, in the event the bottle orcontainer is not properly aligned with the iiller tube, damage mayresult to various parts thereof, and by reason of their construction andassembly considerable time, effort and expense is involved in order todisassemble the parts and replace those damaged. By means of the presentnovel construction and assembly and the sturdiness with which the partsare made, damage to the lling tube assembly is normally limited orlocalized to the outer tube I6 and it may be quickly and cheaplyreplaced. This cuter tube it is a single cylindrical member of uniformdiameter and cross-section throughout. lt is inexpensive to produce andcan be readily removed or replaced, when desired or required.

The parts are formed of a non-corrosive and easily cleaned material, theparts other than the flexible sealing members being preferably formed ofstainless steel or other materials having a high resistance to corrosiveinfluences and which may be readily cleansed and maintained sanitary.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A filling tube assembly for a gravity feed machine adapted to fill abottle or container to a predetermined level with liquid from a fillingtank, comprising a stationary housing member for connecting the assemblyto the tank, an integral inner tube and an outer telescoping tube withinthe housing with the inner tube connected to the housing and retained infixed position and providing an air vent extending through the assemblyand through and above the liquid in the filling tank, and theencompassing outer tube providing a passage for the liquid, said outertube being of uniform diameter and cross section and open only at theopposite ends with the upper end opening into the tank, an elongated,rigid tube tip detachably mounted on the lower end of the inner tube andhaving a longitudinal passage therein communicating with the inner tubeand a pair of oppositely disposed, longitudinal slots, a peripheralshoulder providing a seat for the lower open end of the outer tube and asealing ring engaging and sealing against the interior of the tube, oneslot communicating with the passage in the inner tube and extending froma point spaced from the upper end of the tip to the peripheral shoulder,the other extending downwardly from the upper end of the tip to a pointabove the shoulder and sealing ring and the upper end opening into andcommunicating with the outer tube for the passage of liquid, a tubeclamp and sealing member adjustably mounted on the outer tube and whendisposed in adjusted position, contact of the sealing member with theneck of a container to be lled causes this sealing member, its clamp andthe outer tube to be elevated upon the inner tube and tip whereby tosuccessively uncover rst the lower end of the air vent slot and then thelower end of the liquid discharge slot and ll the container to apredetermined height, and an expansible` spring encompassing the outertube and having its opposite ends bearing against the housing and thetube clamp to spring-bias the outer tube to its lowered closed positionabout the tip.

2. In a lling tube assembly for lling a container with liquid from thetank of a gravity feed machine, a filler head connected to the tank, aninner and an outer tube telescopically mounted in the filler head withthe inner tube held stationary, an elongated, rigid tip detachablymounted upon the lower end of the inner tube and conformably received inand extending for a substantial distance into the outer tube, the tiphaving a passage therein communicating with the inner tube providing anair vent extending from the tip to above the liquid level in the tank,said tip having a pair of longitudinally extending peripheral slots, onecommunicating with the inner tube through the passage in the tip and theother open at its upper end for direct communication with the outertube, the rst mentioned slot terminating below the lower end of theother, the o-uter tube being a straight tubular section of uniformdiameter and cross section open only at its opposite ends andcommunicating at its upper end with the liquid in the tank and at itslower end communicating with the upper open end of its slot in the tip,means for mounting the inner tube stationary with respect to the headand tank, and means for slidably mounting the outer tube about the innertube and about the tip with its upper end free and slidably received inthe head in such manner that the outer tube may be quickly withdrawn andremoved from the head and from about the inner tube and tip and replacedin the event of damage.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

